Frequent self-weighing has been shown to be an excellent way to prevent weight gain in the long-term (15, 21, 22, 23).

One study investigated how much self-weighing frequency predicted weight change over two years in working adults (24).

It found that there was a significant link between self-weighing frequency and weight change. In normal-weight individuals, daily weighing resulted in a slight weight loss, while those who weighed themselves monthly gained 4.4 pounds (2 kg), on average.

However, the largest difference was in overweight individuals.

Those who weighed themselves daily lost 10 pounds (4.4 kg), while those who weighed themselves monthly gained 2.2 lbs (1 kg), on average (24).

Another study came to a similar conclusion, showing that self-weighing was a significant predictor of body weight over time. Participants lost an extra pound (0.45 kg) of body weight for every 11 days they self-weighed (25).

The main reason why this is so effective is that consistent self-weighing allows you to catch weight gain before it escalates and make the necessary changes to prevent more weight gain (15).

Not so long ago, frequent self-weighing was considered to be damaging to your mental health. This notion still exists today.

Self-weighing is claimed to have adverse effects on your mood by continuously reinforcing that your body size is not ideal or appropriate, resulting in an increased risk of developing an eating disorder (4, 5).

Although this may be true in a small group of people, most studies have repeatedly come to a different conclusion (9, 26, 27).

The available research suggests there is little evidence that frequent self-weighing is a cause of negative mood or body dissatisfaction, particularly since part of a weight loss program (8, 12, 14, 26, 28, 29).

In fact, studies indicate that frequent self-weighing may increase body satisfaction, rather than decrease it (9).

That said, there is a group of people who may develop a negative body image, low self-esteem or undesirable eating behaviors as a result of daily self-weighing (30).

If you find that regular self-weighing causes you to have bad feelings about yourself or your eating habits, you should find other methods to measure your progress.

Bottom Line: Most studies do not link frequent self-weighing to negative mood or body dissatisfaction. Some even associate them with higher body satisfaction.

How to Weigh Yourself for Best Results

The best time to weigh yourself is right after you wake up, after going to the bathroom and before you eat or drink.

Your weight tends to fluctuate less in the morning than later in the day when you’ve had plenty to eat and drink. That is also why people weigh the least in the morning.

Also, it is best if you always weigh yourself in similar clothing each day.

However, you need to keep in mind that your weight may fluctuate from day to day and can be affected by many factors, including:

Therefore, it is important to assess the trend of your weight over a longer period, instead of drawing conclusions from each and every weighing.

A basic scale will do just fine. However, many scales also have the ability to measure your body mass index (BMI), body fat percentage and muscle mass, which may help you get a better picture of your progress.

There are also several apps available for your phone or computer that allow you to quickly enter your daily weight and see the trend of your weight change. Happy Scale for iPhone and Libra for Android are two such apps.

Bottom Line: It is best to weigh yourself right after you wake up, after going to the bathroom and before you eat or drink anything.

Other Ways to Track Your Progress

Although self-weighing may be a valuable tool, it has some limitations.

If you’re exercising and gaining muscle, the scale may not show your progress and instead only demonstrate that you have gained weight.

While losing weight can indicate progress, a scale does not differentiate between healthy weight (muscle) and unhealthy weight (fat).

Therefore, it may be good to add other ways of tracking your progress to your regimen. Here are some examples:

Measure circumference: Muscle has much less volume than fat, so your circumference may be decreasing even if your weight stays the same or goes up.

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Anwar Abdi is Junior at the University of Windsor is currently Studying Communication, Media and film, He loves cooking, and in his spare time, he watches a lot of Netflix, and his favorite shows are Suits, Scandal, Homeland, Blacklist